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South Korean automaker Kia Motors plans to increase vehicle production in the CIS region through its facilities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the company said. The announcement came from Jung Sung Kook, Kia’s executive director responsible for investor relations.

Chung noted that in the Asia-Pacific region, the focus is on reducing costs through production hubs in Malaysia and Indonesia. This year, Kia expects sales growth of 12.6% across the Asia-Pacific and 23.5% in the CIS, while forecasting a 3.5 trln won ($2.45 bn) drop in operating profit due to U.S. car tariffs.

Kia began assembling vehicles in Uzbekistan in...

Gold prices extended their sharp rally on January 29, briefly reaching a new record just below $5,600 an ounce as investors moved into safe-haven assets amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Silver also rallied, nearing the $120 level, Reuters reports.

Spot gold climbed 2.6% to $5,538.69 an ounce by 03:49 GMT after earlier hitting an all-time high of $5,591.61. Analysts say concerns over rising US debt and fractures in global trade are driving demand.

“Rising U.S. debt and signs of a fragmented global trade system are driving investors into gold,” Marex analyst Edward Meir said.

Abduqodir Husanov will start for Manchester City from the first minute. The English club has announced its squad for the eighth-round Champions League match against Galatasaray, which kicks off at 01:00.

Manchester City — starting lineup:
Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Abduqodir Husanov, Nathan Aké, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Bernardo Silva, Nico O’Reilly, Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki, Jérémy Doku, Erling Haaland.

Substitutes:
Trafford, Bettinelli, Reijnders, Foden, Gray, Mukasa, Alleyn, Lewis, Mfuni.

The match against Galatasaray is of major tournament importance for City. Only a win will guarantee the team a place in the top eight and direct qualification for the next round.

From economics and politics...

The national air carrier Uzbekistan Airways has presented a new uniform for its cabin crew. The designers took into account current fashion trends as well as the wishes of the airline’s employees.

The colour of the uniform has been changed from earthy tones to blue, a symbol of the sky, while a marsala shade was added as a fashionable accent. The scarf, made in the «adras» style, symbolises the East with its traditions of hospitality and service.

In addition, the airline decided to differentiate the uniforms by colour for senior and regular cabin crew members.

Photo: Asadbek Komilov/ Kursiv Uzbekistan

Bitcoin pulled back from intraday highs on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve opted to keep interest rates unchanged, but futures market data suggests traders are still eyeing a potential push toward the $93,500 level.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency briefly climbed to around $90,600 before reversing, as markets digested the Fed’s decision. Despite the retreat, analysts say a large concentration of leveraged short positions near $93,500 could make that zone an attractive target for traders seeking to trigger liquidations.

Data from CoinGlass shows more than $4.5 bn in Bitcoin short positions clustered around the $93,500 mark. If prices...

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has urged calm and peaceful protest after two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, incidents that have sparked nationwide outrage and intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Speaking on Fox & Friends, Melania called for unity and said she opposed violence, noting that President Donald Trump had spoken with Minnesota leaders to prevent further unrest. Her remarks marked a rare public intervention on a politically sensitive issue.

The shootings included the death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse. Federal officials initially claimed Pretti approached agents with a handgun, but...

Emma Heming Willis has revealed that her husband, actor Bruce Willis, is unaware he is living with frontotemporal dementia, describing the condition as both painful and, in some ways, a «blessing».

Speaking on the Conversations with Cam podcast on January 28, 2026, Emma explained that Willis, 70, has never fully understood his diagnosis, which was made public in 2023. She said this is due to anosognosia, a neurological condition that prevents a person from recognising their own illness.

«It’s where your brain can’t identify what is happening to it,» she said, adding that her...

Two Chelsea supporters were hospitalised in Naples after being attacked by suspected Napoli ultras ahead of the club’s Champions League match on Tuesday night.

The incident took place near the Port of Naples, where a group of seven Chelsea fans were confronted by around 30 attackers in a side street. One supporter was stabbed in the leg with a screwdriver, while another had his coat slashed during the assault. The group fled for more than a mile before police intervened and called an ambulance. Both injured fans are reported to have non-life-threatening injuries.

Following the attack, Chelsea issued...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa received a red-carpet welcome in New Delhi on Tuesday as the European Union and India signed a landmark trade agreement aimed at deepening economic and strategic ties.

Standing alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, von der Leyen hailed the pact as a partnership between «two giants» and described it as the best response to global economic and geopolitical challenges. The agreement is expected to cut or eliminate tariffs on nearly 97% of EU exports, improving access to India’s 1.4-bn-strong market for European goods ranging from...

The UK government has admitted that more migrants have entered Britain under its flagship «one in, one out» agreement with France than have been returned across the Channel.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said around 350 asylum seekers have been brought to the UK from France since the scheme began in September, compared with 281 people deported in the opposite direction. She acknowledged that one of the early challenges was a lack of awareness of the new legal route among migrants in France.

Speaking to LBC radio, Mahmood said officials struggled to promote the scheme effectively, noting the difficulty...

Cisco chair and chief executive Chuck Robbins has warned that while artificial intelligence will become «bigger than the internet,» the current AI market likely resembles a bubble in which many companies will fail before clear winners emerge.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Robbins told the BBC that heavy investment will inevitably lead to losses for some firms, echoing the dotcom era. He said AI would transform industries, eliminate or reshape certain jobs, particularly in customer service, but urged workers and businesses to adapt rather than fear the technology.

His comments came amid...

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has spoken publicly about returning to China for the first time in nearly 10 years, describing the experience as deeply emotional but largely uneventful.

Ai made a quiet three-week visit to Beijing in December, his first since 2015, when authorities returned his passport after years of restrictions. He had been detained for 81 days in 2011 on tax-related charges and later lived under close police surveillance before leaving the country for Europe.

During the visit, Ai travelled with his teenage son and reunited with his 93-year-old mother, sharing images of the trip on...

Thailand has stepped up health surveillance at major airports after India confirmed two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in the eastern state of West Bengal, amid heightened regional concern over possible cross-border spread.

India’s Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that only two confirmed cases have been recorded since December, both involving healthcare workers, and no additional infections have been detected. A total of 196 identified contacts were traced, monitored and tested, all of whom were asymptomatic and negative for the virus, the ministry said.

Despite initial reports suggesting more cases, Indian authorities said enhanced...

Cha Eun Woo, one of South Korea’s most prominent entertainers, broke his silence on January 26 regarding allegations that he owes more than 20 bn won ($14 mln) in additional income taxes. The 28-year-old actor and singer, currently serving mandatory military service, posted a formal apology on social media.

“I will humbly accept the final judgment made by the relevant authorities and take full responsibility in accordance with the outcome,” Cha wrote. He added he was “deeply sorry” and pledged to “comply faithfully with all tax-related procedures going forward.”

“I sincerely bow my head...

A regional court in Hamburg on January 23 ruled in favour of Alisher Usmanov in a lawsuit against the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Kursiv Uzbekistan was told by the Russian businessman’s press office.

The FAZ article, titled On the Kremlin’s Instructions, allegedly claimed that Usmanov informally represented Russian authorities in Uzbekistan and interfered in the editorial policy of the Kommersant newspaper after acquiring it in 2006. The publication also asserted that the businessman used his wealth in the interests of or on instructions from Moscow.

The Hamburg court ruled that the claims violated Usmanov’s personal rights and banned their...

An international tourist train, Jibek Joly, will for the first time connect Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from March 20 to March 25, 2026, Kazakhstan Railways said.

The cultural and educational journey will follow key cities of the ancient Silk Road, travelling along the route Almaty, Turkestan, Samarkand, Dushanbe, Tashkent and back to Almaty, the company said in a statement.

The tour package includes rail travel, a guided excursion programme with professional guides, entrance tickets and all transfers. Organisers noted that the project carries special significance as it will take place during the Navruz holidays and shortly after the end...

Uzbekistan Airways recorded net profit of 1.3 trln soums ($107.2 mln), in 2025, the airline’s press service told Kursiv Uzbekistan.

Over the year, the Uzbekistan Airways group operated 49,300 flights, up 8.7% from 2024. Passenger traffic rose 6.5% to 6.6 mln people, while cargo volumes reached 52,000 tonnes.

The airline plans to expand its route network in 2026 by launching five new destinations and leasing four aircraft. It will also acquire 22 Boeing 787-9 planes using credit financing. In addition, a delivery schedule for 14 Airbus aircraft has been approved for 2028 to 2030 under a 4-6-4 scheme.

This year...

Spain will pay €20 mln ($24 mln) in compensation to victims of last week’s high-speed train crash in Adamuz, Transport Minister Oscar Puente announced. The disaster, which killed 45 people and injured more than 150, occurred near the southern city of Cordoba on January 18 and represents one of the deadliest train accidents in recent European history, and the worst in Spain since 2013.

Families of those killed will receive €216,000 each within three months. This includes €72,000 in tax-free government aid, a €72,000 advance from insurance, and €72,000 from mandatory travel insurance.

Puente...

Uzbekistan’s permanent population reached 38.23 mln as of January 1, 2026, the national statistics agency reports.

Of the total, 19.25 mln were men (50.4%) and 18.97 mln were women (49.6%). Urban areas were home to 19.47 mln people, while more than 18.76 mln lived in rural regions.

In 2025, the country registered 267,100 marriages and 46,900 divorces.

Net migration remained negative, with 1,100 people moving to Uzbekistan while 10,100 left the country.

Kursiv also reports that Uzbekistan’s average monthly salary reached 6.38 mln soums ($527) in 2025.

From economics and politics to business, technology and culture, Kursiv Uzbekistan

Rosatom proposed establishing a nuclear cluster in Uzbekistan at the site of the planned Jizzakh nuclear power plant, CEO Alexey Likhachev said during a visit to Tashkent.

The initiative will cover not only nuclear energy but also medical applications and radiation technologies for agriculture. The Kurchatov Institute will participate in the project. Likhachev noted that work on the nuclear power plant is progressing rapidly, with construction expected to begin this spring.

During his visit, Likhachev met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to discuss the power plant project and the broader development of cooperation in nuclear energy.

SoftBank Group is in discussions to invest up to an additional $30 bn in OpenAI as the Japanese conglomerate steps up its wager on the company behind ChatGPT, Reuters reports.

The potential investment would be part of a funding round that could raise as much as $100 bn for OpenAI and value the firm at roughly $830 bn, the source said.

SoftBank founder and chief executive Masayoshi Son is seeking to strengthen the group’s position in the intensifying artificial intelligence race and has made what he has described as an «all-in» commitment to OpenAI. In December, SoftBank said it...

Mexico’s president has asked South Korea’s leader to consider adding more BTS concerts in her country after tickets for the K-pop group’s long-awaited comeback tour sold out within minutes.

«I wrote a letter to the president of Korea. I have not received a response yet, but we hope it will be positive,» President Claudia Sheinbaum said.

BTS is scheduled to perform three shows in Mexico City in May as part of a 79-date world tour, its first as a group in four years. Local media reported that tickets were snapped up in under...

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight. This is the closest point to catastrophe in its history, as worsening global tensions and failed leadership have sharply increased the risk of disaster.

«A year ago, we warned that the world was perilously close to global disaster,» the Science and Security Board said.

Instead of reversing course, it said, major powers including Russia China and the United States have become «increasingly aggressive adversarial and nationalistic,» eroding international cooperation needed to reduce existential risks.

Because of this breakdown in...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that Uzbekistan will set up a specialised cybercrime department within the Interior Ministry, operating directly under the minister’s supervision.

A separate cybercrime and digital law division will also be established under the Justice Ministry. The president stressed that law enforcement officers must be skilled in artificial intelligence technologies.

Officials noted at the meeting that cybercrime types in Uzbekistan have increased from 18 to 62. There has also been a rise in personal data theft, the use of AI to forge voices and faces, and the transfer of stolen funds abroad using cryptocurrency.

From economics...